Post date: May 01, 2011 7:39:20 AM
In a sensational claim, the YSR Congress President Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the state was heading for mid-term elections within an year.
"This government will be packed off in six months," he said while addressing an election rally at Guntapally in Kadapa district on Saturday.
Jagan made it clear that the Kirankumar Reddy government had no right to continue in office as it was diluting all the welfare programmes initiated by Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.
"Give me a thumping majority in the by-election and we will see that this government will be packed off in six months," he told the gatherings at his road shows.
Earlier, he had all along maintained that he would not unseat the Congress government because it was the result of painstaking efforts by his father and former Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. After floating his own regional outfit and seeking re-election from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, Jagan has changed his line.
"This by-election is a fight between Congress President Sonia Gandhi and our leader YSR, a fight between arrogance of Delhi rulers and self-respect of Telugu people. If you give me a resounding majority, the message will go to Delhi loud and clear. It will trigger a chain of events leading to the exit of this government in six months and mid-term polls in one year," Jagan said.
The former Kadapa MP's remarks triggered fresh speculation that he may pull the plug and dislodge the government anytime after June.
According to sources in the Jagan camp, the young leader is waiting for a right opportunity to strike at the Kiran Kumar Reddy government. And, the showdown could come after the by-elections.
Jagan is likely to ask his camp followers in Congress, Praja Rajyam Party and Telugu Desam Party to quit their respective parties and resign from the Assembly to precipitate the crisis for the government.
However, it is not clear how many legislators will actually join him in a crunch situation. It is estimated that about 25 to 30 MLAs in the 294-member Assembly are backing him.
There are reports that the pro-Jagan MLAs, across the political spectrum, are ready to quit the Assembly and formally join the YSR Congress Party after the by-polls.